What are the best ways to save on electricity? There've been a couple of threads about electric bills lately and some of you seem satisfied with them. How have you kept the costs down? Have you done anything different lately to help save on electricity?

 I hound my kids to turn off their computers when they're not using them and constantly ask them if they turned off the lights in the room they were just in.  I'm also making sure to turn my computer off.  

I made the switch to CFL bulbs some time ago. The other thing I did was to replace 2 heat pumps back in December.

I don't have my house lit up like a Christmas tree. I keep most of the lights off in rooms when I'm not in them.

I have one of those things that does something to the hot water heater. Mom had it installed. I get a credit every month on the bill because of it. I pay a fee monthly for a light in my yard. I pay a fee monthly for surge protection. I did the surge thing after Mom went into the nursing home. The light gives me peace of mind; I can tell if the electricity is working as I drive down my street. Since I lose electricity to car accidents hitting light poles, etc., I like seeing if I'll be going into a dark house or not.

Stacycue:

I'm also making sure to turn my computer off

Do you have your computers on power/surge strips and turn the electricity off there? I discovered that even my printer "leaks" electricity if it's not unplugged.

Virginia Needlewoman:

I keep most of the lights off in rooms when I'm not in them

 I usually have only one light on at a time, too. My living room doesn't have an overhead light, so I have lamps and sometimes I forget to turn on more than one when I have company until they ask if they can turn on a light!

 In the summer, we keep the temperature inside to 84.  Taking a quick cold shower in the afternoon works great.

Our "Entertainment Cabinet" with about 10 plugs gets turned off at night using one switch from the power surge protector.

We tried the CFL bulb thing but were lasting the same amount of time as regular ones.  Plus the extra mercury in them is not worth the risk when they drop and shatter.

Pat:

Stacycue:

I'm also making sure to turn my computer off

Do you have your computers on power/surge strips and turn the electricity off there? I discovered that even my printer "leaks" electricity if it's not unplugged.

 

 

Our computers are on power strips but I don't turn it off at the strip.  We have five computers in this room because of my husband's work and other computers are plugged into the same strip as mine so I can't turn it off without turning off something that he may need for work.  

 

Stacycue:

I can't turn it off without turning off something that he may need for work.  

I can see how that would cause a problem!

You might find it worthwhile if you unplug it from the strip, though. Computers consume electricity even when they're turned off, like a lot of other things - just something to think about.

DavidKimball:

We tried the CFL bulb thing but were lasting the same amount of time as regular ones.  Plus the extra mercury in them is not worth the risk when they drop and shatter.

I heard that the CFL bulbs were of better quality now, but, like you, I wasn't impressed by them. I have a few, but quit buying them and am using mostly incandescent now.

 Yes.  The problem is, California tried (and will try again, I am sure) to mandate CFL bulbs only to be used because of the environmental benefit of using less energy.  There was an uproar because of the costs and mercury fumes.  The State backed down .... for now.